OFFICE OF THE DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENT OF POLICE, KOTTAYAM-1
Do you recognize him?
No.
He's from that "Lovely Mathan" case.
Yeah, I recognize him now.
Hey, before diving into any adventures,
just remember that face, okay?
It could serve as a valuable lesson for you.
- Sir is asking for you. - Okay. Come.
Anand sir!
Anand sir? Do you recognize me?
- Prasanthan, right? - Oh, you even remember my name!
- When did you come? - Just now.
That's why I didn't see you.
About seven to eight months ago, you came here to meet SP sir.
It still feels like it happened just yesterday.
You and Narayanan Pillai sir...
Have you found out where you'll be posted next?
No. I've been summoned to meet SP sir today.
Sir, I'm heading to DYSP Khan sir's office.
It will be late when I return.
Allow me to be the first to salute you on your comeback.
It's an unsung tune of bravado
It's a tame clarion call of the gallant
Effervescing bravado
With a trembling chest
Unending malevolence With a blazing banyan tree
TAKING AND GIVING BRIBES IS PUNISHABLE
In the burning wound Elating fumes
Effervescing bravado
With a trembling chest
Brandish sword
Blooming flower
Redemption!
The agonies of woods burn In the flare of flames
When embracing a galling tempest
Mending heart wounds
Thus mending the wrath
Redemption!
The hubbub of waft In the chafing sword
With no deeding To a twirling deep abyss
- How old is she? - She just turned 18, sir.
- Do you have a picture? - Yes, sir.
What is it, Suku?
Sir, it's a case of a missing person.
I have three daughters, sir.
Lovely is the second child.
She is studying at the Nattakam Government College.
First Year, B.A.
She went to the college yesterday morning to pick up her exam hall ticket.
At first, we thought...
she might have gone to her friend's place for group studies.
She usually does that during exam times.
With that in mind,
we waited till seven in the evening.
When she didn't show up, I went to her friends' houses,
where I assumed she might have gone.
They all said
that they had only seen her at the college.
Who is he?
I'm Koruth.
I'm his ward member.
I'm also a distant relative of Mathan.
Later, we thought,
"What if she has any love affair that we were unaware of?"
So...
we decided to visit the college the next morning
to discreetly inquire about it.
Even if she had made a mistake,
we wanted to talk to her, help her understand things
before anyone else found out, and bring her back home.
My family and I spent the entire night pondering over this.
In order to leave for college in the morning,
I took him along and went to Mandiram Bus Stop.
That's when I learned something
by chance from Kunjappan,
who runs a shop there.
MARY DASAN
Is anyone getting down here?
Let's go.
Why are you back early today, dear? Is there a college strike?
No, Uncle. My classes for the year are over.
The exam's next week. I went to collect the hall ticket.
By the way, tell your father
I have kept the banana tree seeds that he asked for.
- Tell him to drop by in the evening. - Okay, I'll tell him.
Hey, come.
When I met him in the morning,
I asked him why he didn't come despite telling his daughter to inform him.
That's when I got this news.
When Lovely got off the bus,
did it seem like someone was waiting or following her?
No, sir.
But at that time, two students from the Homeo College were present here.
They often come here
to smoke and drink lime juice.
I saw them going after her.
- Are they Chacko's tenants? - Yes.
Sir, they are troublemakers.
I've been receiving numerous complaints about them lately,
all related to eve-teasing women.
How far is Mathan's house from here?
Hardly... a kilometer, sir.
Anyway, let's walk till there.
- Kunjappan, you should come as well. - Yes.
Why are you back early today, dear? Any college strike?
No, Uncle. My classes for the year are over.
The exam's next week. I went to collect the hall ticket.
By the way, tell your father
I have kept the banana tree seeds he asked for.
- Tell him to drop by in the evening. - Okay, I'll tell him.
Let go of me!
Sir.
This is where the boys are staying on rent.
Come.
Go and catch him.
Stop!
Run!
- I said stop! - Hey...
- Sir... - Get up!
Sir, I don't know anything.
- Oh, no! - Come here.
- What is it, sir? - Come with me.
- Sir! - Go stand there.
Kunjappan...
It's him and that guy.
So, you began following Lovely from the bus stop.
You passed comments, sang songs,
and irritated that girl to the maximum.
Eventually, when you reached your rented house,
you blocked her.
Then called her inside.
She refused to come.
So you tried to drag her forcefully.
Things are clear until this part.
- Tell me the rest of the story. - No, sir...
It's true that we followed her, teased her, and called her into our house.
- But we didn't use any force. - She came on her own then?!
- Tell us! - No, she never came to our house.
Give them a tight slap, sir. They'll spill the truth.
Sir, that's not what happened.
Stop! Stop!
Step aside. I'll tell this to my parents.
What is this, Lovely?
- Fish! Fresh fish! - Let's go.
Hey, dear.
I gave some fish at home to your father.
Go fast, it must be cooked by now. Fish! Fish!
Go.
Yeah, we believed it!
- You... - Sena...
Not now. There are people outside.
What happened, sir? Have you found any clue?
No.
Mathan...
Which fish curry was made at home yesterday?
- It was ribbon fish, sir. - Oh...
She likes it a lot.
We prepared fish curry, boiled some tapioca,
and waited until 2:30 p.m. for her.
Who's that fish seller?
His name is Baby.
We regularly buy fish from him.
- What is it, sir? - Nothing. Just inquiring.
Come on.
- Uthupp. - Sir.
Contact the fish seller and verify the boys' statements.
Also...
given that Lovely was seen getting off at the bus stop near her house
and walking halfway home,
this is no longer just a missing case.
- Sena. - Sir.
All abandoned compounds around that place,
unused wells, ponds, etc. Everything should be thoroughly searched.
- Right away. - Yes, sir.
Uthupp.
- Yes? - We should go to Mathan's place.
Yes, sir.
Sir?
Since it has come to this,
shouldn't we inform the higher authorities?
Yes, we should. I'm going to call CI Simon sir.
Does Lovely usually come home late?
She has never come after 6:00 p.m.
Did you inquire if she's gone to any nearby houses?
Uthupp.
- What did they say? - They don't know anything.
Was Lovely very friendly with everyone?
Yes, she was.
Did she ever mention any issues?
No, she's never...
Lovely is a pious believer.
- Isn't she? - Yes, sir.
She wanted to join the priory ever since she was a kid.
But we didn't allow her to.
KNOCK, AND IT WILL BE OPENED FOR YOU... ASK, AND IT WILL BE GIVEN TO YOU...
SEEK AND YOU WILL FIND...
Sir, tell them to check the upper part.
Yeah, there. Yes.
Yes, there.
The other side.
Let it be.
Did Lovely mention that she would be going somewhere after college?
Perhaps to a friend's place or something of the sort.
No.
She said she would come here directly after picking up her hall ticket.
Who are Lovely's friends in this area?
I mean, who does Lovely often meet and hang out with?
There are none.
These three are the close ones.
Since she went to Bangalore to study nursing,
she grew closer to her younger sister.
She was very fond of Father Thomas in the monastery.
She frequently went there.
Did she tell you yesterday that she would go there?
No, she didn't say that.
But she did mention that
she wanted Father to offer a prayer for her after receiving the hall ticket.
Mathan, one moment...
Who's this Father Thomas from the monastery?
Sir, there is a monastery around here where some priests are staying.
Badani. He is an inmate there.
By monastery, do you mean that many people are staying there?
No, sir. Earlier, there were two more priests there beside Father Thomas.
One of them died a few days ago.
The other one got transferred.
Now Father Thomas is alone there.
How far is it?
Almost 300 meters, sir. It's on the same route that we took.
- Okay. - Sir...
Sir, please don't go to the monastery on impulse.
That would be enough for the media to cook up stories.
It would bring shame to the church.
If we take all this into account, can we effectively investigate this case?
Sir, what I mean is, that it would bounce back like a boomerang.
I'll tell you another thing which you don't know.
There has been a long-standing conflict
between two communities at the church here for many years.
And Father Thomas belongs to the opposite side of Mathan.
So we should be more careful in this case.
Whatever it is, we have to continue with this investigation.
That's our only priority.
For that, we need to know if Lovely went to the monastery yesterday.
Uthupp, you may come with me.
Or else, if you have any other intentions, you may choose not to.
My dear sir, I have no other intention. I will come with you.
Then get in.
I was just sharing my experience.
- Hey, are they telling the truth? - Yes, I heard them talking.
That SI was talking with Mathan about Father Thomas.
Mathan will surely use this opportunity against us.
Hey, would Mathan do that? That too in such a situation!
The people with him will do, if not him.
No one should forget what happened at the funeral of Mankootathil Ammini Mama.
If the police go inside the monastery,
then it's better we all die. I swear on our Parimala Saint!
- Look, do you believe me now? - Yes.
Where are you off to, sir?
- Why do you want to know? - Nothing.
But if you're going to the monastery, we won't allow you.
This place isn't for the police to roam around.
Who the heck are you to say this?
We are some of the believers of this church, sir.
So we have the right to say this.
Hey, don't create a ruckus.
We'll go meet Father Thomas
- and talk for a few minutes and come back. - That won't happen, sir!
Who are you to decide what the police should do, you scoundrel?
- Sir, don't you dare lay your hand on us. - Get lost!
You can't barge in here, sir!
Hold them! Come!
I said you can't go in!
Move! I said move away!
Hands off!
Don't you dare go inside!
Move away!
- Get lost. Run away! - Sir, don't beat us.
Sir...
What's happening here?
Sir, we got a lead that
the missing girl might have come to this monastery yesterday.
So what? You buckled up your belt and came here?
Is it something that you can decide on your own?
Why did you delay informing me when you got such a case?
Oh, you thought you could solve this case alone and take the credit.
Isn't it?
You would have been done for if I hadn't come here.
They would have beaten you to a pulp.
I told him...
not to be impulsive and to come here.
He didn't listen to me.
- What is it? - Sir...
While searching an abandoned well of a person called Kaithayil Chandi,
we found a body covered in a sack.
Be careful.
- Come here! - Please don't beat me, sir!
Come!
We didn't do it.
We don't know anything.
You killed a girl!
Tell me the truth.
You rascals! Tell me the truth!
- Close it. - Sir.
Sir, we got the statement of that fish-seller "Baby."
He's said the same thing that these boys said.
He saw Lovely going past their house.
There's no point in that.
It's possible that they followed her
and forcefully brought her home after the fish seller left.
Also,
starting tomorrow, I won't be leading this investigation.
Considering the sensational nature of the case,
DYSP Alex sir will be in charge.
So keep your foolishness and over-smartness to yourself.
Or else you will regret it.
Sir.
What did you find in your interrogation?
Is it those boys?
It's a 50-50 chance, sir.
You both wait outside.
- Sir. - Sir.
- Hey, listen. - Sir.
One of those boys is a nephew of my close acquaintance.
- Contractor Sudevan. - Oh.
The other boy is also from a wealthy family.
An only child.
Moreover, we won't get any credit for nabbing these guys.
Didn't you see today's newspaper?
That SI has come to the limelight because of this case.
Anyway, let's see.
Another thing,
do you understand the government's intention
in assigning this case to two Christians like us?
No.
Yesterday, what that scoundrel SI
did in front of that monastery hit the right spot.
The game is going to change after the funeral in the evening.
The community of the dead girl,
that is the Kurliose group, will take to the streets...
against their opposition, the Packemeose group.
If the police enter that monastery regarding this case,
the Packemeose group will also take to the streets.
That would be enough to set Central Travancore on fire.
The ministry, which is held up by the Kottayam belt, would collapse.
So, as early as possible,
even before the burial ceremonies are over,
find any random guy and make him the culprit.
Otherwise, everything will get complicated.
I had asked you to bring any clothing she had worn recently at home.
- Did you bring it? - Yes, sir.
What is it?
Sir, I have some intuition about this case.
You might want to hear it.
Why not? I'm all ears. Tell me.
- Sir... - Don't look at them.
You tell me.
Sir, please...
Sir, this is the map of the location where Lovely's body was found.
This is the well in which the body was found.
There's almost a distance of 500 meters from their rental place.
Let it be day or night,
carrying the body to this distance without anyone noticing
is not that practical, sir.
Not only that,
this is Attath Appukkuttan Nair's abandoned compound.
There is also another abandoned well in that compound.
And the distance between this compound and their house is hardly 200 meters.
Logically, they could have dumped the body there.
The compound adjacent to where the body was found
belongs to the Badani Monastery affiliated with the church.
One of Lovely's sisters has given a statement that
Lovely used to visit the Badani Monastery frequently.
So, if we could question Father Thomas from the monastery,
I think that would really help our investigation, sir.
So, that's what you think?
- Then... - Yes, sir.
you can go home with those thoughts.
Wasn't your father also a police officer?
Why don't you both inquire about the case together?
I'll make decisions for this case now!
Don't try to poke your nose in it. Understood?
If you do anything like that, you'll be burned under this uniform.
I'll make sure of it!
Come.
BADANI MONASTERY
Mom!
Dog! Mom...
Oh, no! Dog!
Hey, come here.
- Whose house is this? - It's toddy tapper Sahadevan's.
- The one on the criminal list? - Yes.
But he's leading a peaceful life these days.
He has kept a low profile since his marriage.
Who are you to decide that? Move aside.
Sir, there is nothing significant.
Sir, look at this.
Doesn't it look like something heavy was dragged from here to that compound?
Perhaps the body was hidden here before being dumped into the well.
Sir, I think we'll be able to find scientific evidence from here
if we perform a forensic exam.
Today, your duty is at the station, right?
Go back to the station.
Wait.
Don't just go like that.
It's already 1:00 p.m.
Where do you get good biryani around here?
Sir, I've heard that the biryani in Shalimar Restaurant is good.
Have you tried it?
I don't eat biryani, sir.
Anyway, go and get two chicken biryanis from that restaurant.
- Do you eat chicken? - Yes, of course, sir.
Buy it and come directly to the station.
We'll be there.
Understood?
Sir.
- Did you buy the biryani? - Yes, sir.
Here!
On the tenth of this month,
which is the day Lovely Mathan was murdered,
this is the register of the council meeting held at the Bishop House.
It states that
from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.,
Father Thomas, the only resident at the monastery,
was present at the meeting.
Take a good look at it.
This should put an end to your urge to intrude into the monastery.
- Understood? - Sir.
Also, you should bring in the person
who sells fish, milk, and newspapers
around Lovely Mathan's house...
- as soon as possible. - Sir.
Have you seen anyone wearing this piece of cloth around Mathan's house?
Have you noticed anything?
What is it?
- Sir... - Do you know?
I'm not certain if it's the same one,
but I have seen a similar cloth at a house there.
Where?
Fish! Fresh fish!
- Hey, Sahadevan. - Hey...
I have fresh fish, would you like some?
Not today, Baby.
My wife has gone to her home. She'll be back in the evening.
Okay.
Fish! Fresh fish!
I saw the girl on my way.
In front of the boys' house.
What happened, sir?
You have a similar piece of cloth.
Bring it.
Go and get it, Sahadevan.
We need to see it.
Sir...
It has gone missing.
I put it out to dry two days ago,
and it was gone the next day.
Is that so?
Then you need to come with us.
We'll search for the missing lungi together.
We might find it.
Why are you...
Don't play with us. Come!
- Oh, no! - Sir, I'm living a decent life now!
Don't arrest me for some made-up charges.
No, sir!
Come here!
Let go of me!
Take your hands off me!
- Come with us! - Walk!
- This is not right, sir! - Rascal!
No, sir. I didn't do it.
- Tell me the truth! - I told you, sir, it's not me.
Let go of me.
It's not me, sir.
Come.
- Come in. - Please sit, Mathan.
Sit.
The funeral went well.
Oh, you were there as well.
They arrested Sahadevan, haven't they, sir?
And...
did he confess?
The questioning is ongoing, Mathan.
I've known Sahadevan since childhood.
He cannot do that to me and my family.
How can we be so sure, Mathan?
It's the human mind.
It can turn around at any time.
That's true.
When I hear and see certain things,
even I feel the same.
Sir.
This is Siraj.
He is a transport bus driver.
In Kottayam.
On the day of the incident,
I had seen Lovely, sir.
Hey, Lovely.
Did you finish your class early today?
No. I went to collect the hall ticket. My exam is next week.
Are you going to work?
Yes. See you later. I'm already late.
What would have been the time then?
Almost past one o'clock in the afternoon.
That day, I was assigned to the Wayanad Super Fast bus at 2:30 p.m.
It shouldn't just be someone for the namesake.
The one who did this to my kid
should be punished.
Otherwise,
her soul will never rest in peace.
As he said, the real culprit in this case should be punished.
I started this investigation.
- So, Sena... - Sir.
I'm going to restart it from where I stopped.
Unofficially.
Go for it, sir. I'll be with you.
Hey, the most important thing in a murder case is,
"Where was he or she killed?"
Your superiors say that she was killed in that toddy tapper's room.
But you're saying that's not the case, and it is fabricated.
There should be clarity in that.
Otherwise, there is no point in continuing this investigation.
- Hello. - Prabhullachandran here.
Hello, sir.
How are you? Why did you call out of the blue?
The reason I called is...
Did you examine the crime scene of that Lovely Mathan murder case recently?
Yes.
Are you sure that is the real crime scene?
Sir, to be very honest, no.
The police showed me a room saying that they had a statement from the accused.
I examined that room thoroughly.
All I got was some pearls and some broken pieces of bangles.
But when the autopsy report categorically says that it was an Asphyxial death,
there are findings of almost five nail wounds on her body
that happened during the struggle.
In that case, there should definitely be skin tissues
- at the crime scene. - Exactly, sir.
But I didn't find any such things from there.
Anyway, thanks.
You may carry on.
- Bye. - Bye, sir.
Listen,
for your investigation to progress,
that monastery should be approachable for you.
Find a solution for that.
Then come and meet me.
We'll see the rest.
Okay.
Who's that?
Stop right there!
Hold it properly.
- Good morning, Father. - Good morning.
I'm Anand. I'm the SI here.
Father, was there a theft here last night?
That is...
It was him.
He bumped into us at the junction during the night patrol.
He confessed everything, when we asked properly.
Show him.
All these are from here, right?
Yes.
But I have no complaint.
We got the things back, that's enough.
That's not possible, Father.
Since he confessed to the crime,
we have to go ahead with this case.
We immediately have to take the evidence from here along with him.
We're here for that.
Come.
Go inside.
Let's start, sir.
Why are the cops here in the monastery?
- Is that SI at it again? - No, man.
Don't you know about the theft at the monastery last night?
They are here to collect evidence.
Father, you heard some sound around 1:30 a.m. and woke up, right?
Yes.
- We are almost done. We can stop. - Okay, sir.
Thank you, Father.
Thanks for your cooperation.
Come.
Hey, what must be the case?
It's not just the police, there are others, as well.
Sir, I'm here to submit this file to you.
What is this?
These are some of my findings in the Lovely Mathan murder case.
I know what I'm doing is against the protocol.
But after reading this file,
you may give me any punishment that you deem fit.
It's because I cannot turn a blind eye to something that is not true.
Without even a shred of doubt,
I can tell you now.
The place where Lovely was killed is that monastery.
Yes...
The skin tissues we got from the kitchen walls,
some hair samples, and fingerprints,
all match Lovely's.
Among these, skin tissues are the most important.
It might have happened in the struggle at the time of the murder.
There is another serious development in this case.
Here...
Father, you should come with us.
We need to ask you some things.
Please come, sir.
Did the convict confess to the crime?
Yes, sir. The statement has been recorded in detail.
Good.
Sir...
Sir, she is Lovely's elder sister Blessy.
We confidentially took her into custody
from Ramayya Medical College in Bangalore.
Oh.
How did you guys get to her? Can you explain?
Sure, sir.
- Anand. - Yes, sir.
Sir...
There are some common hair samples
we collected in our forensic examination from both the monastery and the bush
where the suspect's body was hidden until it was disposed of.
Among these, one belongs to a man and the other to a woman.
By woman, we mean...
It's not Lovely who got murdered.
Though we found many hair samples of Lovely from the monastery,
we didn't find any from the bush where the body was kept hidden.
Then... this female hair sample...
is colored.
I have only seen one girl who has colored her hair
in my station jurisdiction.
But that wasn't enough to prove anything.
So we did a scientific examination, like we did at the monastery,
at Lovely's house as well.
We got the same hair samples from there as well.
Sir, the night before Lovely was murdered,
there was an unexpected guest at Father Thomas's monastery.
Father...
Who is this? Deacon?
- You came without a notice. - I have a holiday for the next two days.
So, I thought I would come here.
Deacon Nadaniel Johnson, also known as Dany,
was the son of Father Thomas's sister Elizabeth.
- Take a bath and come, let's eat. - Okay, Father.
He's a student at the Ernakulam Law College
and is waiting to be ordained as a priest.
The next morning, Father Thomas
went to Kottayam Bishop House for the council meeting.
Deacon Daniel was all alone in the monastery.
The incidents following that
are very clear from Blessy's statement.
It goes like this...
Hey.
Let me go now.
Classes are still on.
I just lied to my father so that I could meet you.
Come.
Lovely.
Lovely! Dear, it was a mistake.
- Don't talk about it at home. - Move aside, Blessy.
I know that it's not a mistake, and this has been happening for a while.
- I came here to see it with my own eyes. - Lovely, please...
Don't create any issues.
We...
Aren't you ashamed?
You will be ordained this year, right?
- Lovely! Lovely, please. - Let go of me.
Lovely, please listen to me.
Don't make noise!
You...
Keep quiet.
What's wrong with you?
Do you want our ill father to hear this and become even more upset?
Please, Lovely, let me tell you, please...
Go!
Go and see.
Lovely! Please!
Listen to me.
Lovely!
Father...
It's damn hot.
Please be quiet, Lovely.
Lovely!
It was the postman.
She went to collect her hall ticket,
and she hasn't returned yet.
She must have gone to her friends' place...
for group studies.
Doesn't she always do that at the time of exams?
- Annamma! - Yes.
Get me my clothes.
It's very late.
Let me go and check.
Come here.
It would be quite late until people at Sahadevan's house go to sleep.
You should go, Blessy.
I'll take care of the rest.
Go.
Go!
By the time Father Thomas came back to the monastery that night,
his nephew had left.
So, when he connected the news of Lovely's death and his sudden disappearance,
Father Thomas also had some doubts.
Though he asked Daniel about it,
Father Thomas said that he didn't agree with it.
That's what his statement is.
Also, he's his blood relative. He might not snitch on him.
Anyway, we'll try, sir.
Let everything be confidential like this for the time being.
Sir.
And you should be very careful about the further movements of this case.
Sure, sir.
Sena...
Come.
Hey, eat this.
Eat!
Don't you want to eat?
Sena...
Sir?
Come here.
Yes, sir. I'll hand the phone to him.
Sir, you have a call from the SP.
Here's the key.
- Hello, sir. - Is everything okay there?
Yes, sir. Everything is okay.
Some church people and media personnel have gathered in front of the court.
You don't worry about that.
I have sent force to the scene. They'll take care of it.
You concentrate on the deacon.
That's your duty, understood?
Anand?
- Understood, sir. - Okay.
Hey!
- Catch him! - Hey!
Stop!
Catch him.
- Get him! - Run!
- Hold them! - Hey, stop the cops!
- Hold them! - Stop!
Don't lose him.
Don't spare anyone!
Get them!
Come on, get them!
Kabeer, check there.
He's over there!
Stop!
Make way!
Catch him, sir.
Hey!
Oh, no! Sir, train!
Hey!
Hey, stop him!
Sir, the train is here!
Hey! Don't jump!
Sir!
Sir...
- Sir, no! Don't jump! - Sir, no!
Sir, the train!
Crime Number 347/93.
In the Lovely Mathan murder case,
the first accused,
Deacon Nadaniel Johnson, also known as Dany,
was arrested and later escaped on September 24, 1993, at 10:50 a.m.
from the Changanassery First Class Magistrate Court premises.
Following the incident
at the Melkulangara Railway level crossing,
he was killed by a train.
The personnel on duty at that time,
including Chingavanam Sub-Inspector Anand Narayanan,
constables Kabeer Hassan, Chandra Senan, and K.R. Sukumaran,
are found guilty of negligence, lack of safety measures,
and a lackadaisical attitude.
This is hereby reported.
Considering their prima facie guilt,
the above-mentioned personnel
are suspended from service as of the evening of September 25, 1993.
Additionally, an inquiry against them
is ordered in connection with the aforementioned case,
as per the 1958 Kerala Police Inquiries
and Punishment Law.
Sir, you have been called inside.
Yes. Come in.
Sit.
- I'm good, sir. - Please have a seat.
I had to face a lot of opposition, even at the ministerial level,
to lift your suspension.
It became possible only when I assured them
that the four of you wouldn't be put in charge of any police station.
But as someone who truly understands your dedication in the Lovely Mathan case,
this is what gave me the confidence
to give such an assurance.
SRIDEVI MURDER CASE CR NO: 88/88
It is the file of a murder case that happened six years ago
at Cheruvally, a village at the Kottayam borders.
Even after the investigation conducted by the local police, Crime Branch, and SIT,
they couldn't find the real culprit.
Now, the government has decided to do an investigation for the sake of formality
and close the case.
For that, a team should be selected and sent there.
Being the district SP, I am in charge of that.
I'm going to send you all there.
To Cheruvally.
You and those three police officers who got suspended along with you.
It's not a big task from an outsider's perspective.
But
if you can find any new clue that nobody else can find,
you can follow that lead and reach the real culprit.
You just imagine.
What would be your public image after that?
The ones who dismayed and harassed you will have to salute you.
I know it's not an easy task.
If at all nothing happens,
prepare a decent closure report and come back.
Nobody would ask you why you didn't solve the case.
Otherwise,
if you are sure about the real culprit,
do not take any risk this time,
just report it to me.
I'll take care of the rest.
Anand, I'm sure
if you try genuinely, you can make miracles.
Then what did you say, sir?
What could I say?
I didn't say anything.
I stood there listening to him.
But when I thought about it later,
it was not a bad idea, after all.
Because even if we are not able to solve the case,
it's not going to affect us.
And at the very least, we have the liberty to give it a try.
I feel the same.
And if at all we capture the real culprit,
- that would be a big thing. - Come on!
"Catch the culprit!" Please be realistic, sir.
Sir, I'll be very frank. Please don't take it otherwise.
If you think you did an exceptional job in the Lovely Mathan murder case,
that's wrong.
If those investigating officers had investigated it wholeheartedly,
it would have been solved easily.
But this is not like that.
This is a case where prominent figures
like Krishnanunni sir, investigated and failed.
Sir,
this is a game of that SP.
You three may go, but I'm not coming.
I'll join the traffic control room,
or the AR camp kitchen, or somewhere else.
I'll be fine no matter where.
Then you can tell that to the SP, Suku.
- Me? - Yes.
But, sir...
We three have anyway decided to go to Cheruvally as per the SP's order.
- Haven't we? - Yes.
So, you can tell him you can't obey his orders.
Isn't that the right thing to do?
Dear Cheruvally villagers,
six years ago,
as part of the Sridevi Murder Case,
the local police and Crime Branch, etc...
have tortured us physically and mentally.
We have not forgotten it at all.
Moreover, we have received inside information that
the government is going to send a new investigation team.
We got this confidential information this morning
through our honorable Panchayat President Mr. P.V. Pailo.
Against this brutal move of the government,
we shouldn't be silent spectators like before.
We are organizing a massive protest meeting today at 5:00 p.m.
at the Church Junction.
What do they think?
In this Cheruvally village, where I'm the president,
they can send an investigation team without me knowing about it?
That's because they don't know me well.
Whatever move they make against my people,
I can foresee that move. That's what this P.V. Pailo is capable of!
My dear friends,
in the name of the investigations that happened here before,
is there anyone in this Cheruvally
who wasn't tortured mentally or physically?
Then, since we wanted to find the real killer,
we suffered everything and forgave them.
But did they find the killer?
They couldn't find a thing!
- So... - Get down.
this nonsense won't be entertained in our village.
I want to say that loud and clear.
Also, I've got information
about the new investigators...
Hey, the people are all charged up against us.
- It's better to return soon. - Shut up.
An innocent young priest
was arrested on a made-up murder case by them.
And finally, they killed him by throwing him in front of a train.
Four such brutal officers are coming here to investigate.
So, we should strongly oppose anything that would disturb the private lives
of the people in Cheruvally.
I call for you all to come together in this.
And hereby, I conclude my words.
Next, a well-known theater person,
a state award winner,
and above all, a great pride of our Cheruvally...
Honorable Sadanandan Master,
I humbly invite him to speak a few words.
Greetings, Master.
Dear villagers,
what is to be opposed, should be opposed.
We shouldn't be hesitant anymore.
A group of cold-blooded criminals
are being sent here in the name of an investigation.
- It's really condemnable. - Sir, let's move from here.
There will be a problem if someone finds out.
- We should oppose that at any cost. - Let's go.
I am now recalling those bad days that traumatized us six years ago.
During those days,
men in our village were afraid to leave the house after six o'clock.
They feared being picked up and beaten by the police for no reason.
- Brother. - Yes?
Where is the house of retired Head Constable Raveendran Nair?
- The one who was in the police force? - Yes.
Third house from over there.
Thank you, brother.
But we have kept it very confidential.
Then how did they come to know about this so quickly?
That Panchayat President is not as silly as we think.
He's got enough contacts in the police and politics.
He must have known through that.
Yesterday was her engagement.
The wedding is on the eighth of next month.
I shall come and invite you all later.
And...
we can't even blame the villagers, sir.
Such brutality was unleashed
in the name of investigation
by the local police and Crime Branch.
Especially the local police.
Better among them was the SIT.
It might be because I am a native,
I was part of all three teams.
Special deputation.
So, what happened was,
I became an enemy to all the people in Cheruvally.
Sir, do you have any idea how many years it took
for us to change that?
Nobody bothered to come when we invited them to our son's wedding.
So your daughter's wedding is also going to be the same.
I am telling you, sister!
- Stop it. - Oh, let it be.
I don't mind such things.
Since, it is something that the SP has requested,
though I would be busy with my daughter's wedding,
I'll help you with all my capacity.
Even though I'm retired,
I'm still that old police officer inside.
We won't trouble you much.
We will take your leave now. It's getting dark.
Gomathi, get the key to the northern house.
Okay.
What is it, President? What's the matter?
Nair, who are they?
- They? They're my old friends. Why? - Lie!
Raveendran sir...
We, you, and they, all know that what you're saying is a lie.
Listen, I'll tell you something.
If you think you can side with them to torture the villagers like before,
we might not forgive you as we did back then.
Remember one thing,
you're not wearing that uniform anymore.
What the heck will you do, if I don't have my uniform?
Hey, calm down!
Please listen to me.
My name is Anand.
Sub Inspector of Police.
I assure you
that you'll not have any bad experience like before
from our side ever.
We're here to conduct a nominal investigation
and close the murder case forever.
We're not here to torture you.
So, please.
Cooperate with us.
If what you're saying is true, that's good.
Or if it is otherwise,
we'll oppose it no matter what.
Come on. Let's go.
Damn their investigation!
- Shall we go? - Come, sir.
He is Govindan's son. That guy who fought with me.
Govindan was afraid of the police questioning him,
so he committed suicide.
Sir, no case file accommodates these aftermath stories.
I was a witness to everything.
Revamma was the only tailor in our village.
Sridevi, who was murdered, was her daughter.
After Revamma got cheated by a man named George,
who used to work in a finance company,
her cousin, Podiyan,
was the one to marry her even after knowing everything.
In the initial days of their marriage,
Podiyan and Revamma, as a couple, had no issues between them.
But over the years,
Podiyan might have felt that he was bearing others' dirt,
and he started to torture Revamma a lot.
Finally, the panchayat and police intervened,
and Podiyan was thrown out of Revamma's house.
Since then,
Revamma started leading her life
using her tailoring skills.
And she raised her daughter.
Where is Podiyan now?
He's around.
Podiyan was among the prime suspects in this case for the Crime Branch.
Two days before Sridevi was murdered,
he had gone to her house and created a ruckus.
Because of that,
Revamma also suspected him of her daughter's murder.
- Watch the steps. - Yes.
- Where is the kitchen, sir? - It's there.
- I have kept some groceries already. - Okay.
Please be seated. We'll freshen up and come.
Okay.
Here's your tea.
Sir...
So,
tell us the rest.
Sridevi used to regularly read "Manorama," "Mangalam," and "Manorajyam."
She slept dreaming of the characters in it.
Sridevi was such a naive village girl.
Since she was very pretty,
a lot of youngsters in Cheruvally were after her.
Sethu was at the forefront.
He was a servant in Sudhakaran's toddy shop.
- Go carefully. - Yes.
Did you read this week's story?
But including Sethu, Sridevi never paid heed to anyone.
Even though it was just a way to pass the time for other men,
Sethu was sincerely in love with Sridevi.
I felt that when I questioned him.
She didn't want to repeat the mistake her mom made.
Her friends have given a statement that
Sridevi had said she would never love anyone.
Sreekutti,
turn off the light and sleep.
She is still reading!
Ten more minutes, Mom. Let me finish this.
You go to sleep.
Oh, this girl!
She won't even help me in stitching a button or hook.
Always reading these damn novels!
That night, Sridevi...
My back is hurting from doing all the work.
Nobody here seems to care about that.
My ill fate!
Dear mother,
I am going...
with a man I deeply love.
I can't help but go, Mother.
Please forgive me.
No matter where I go, I will be safe.
With love, your Sreekutti.
I was on night duty that day.
The next morning, when I was returning home...
Sir...
Here!
What is it, Kesava?
In the fields of Parangodan Pillai,
there is a dead body of a girl.
Dead body? Whose?
I heard that it was tailor Revamma's daughter.
As I didn't want to see a tragic death, I didn't go there.
Oh! Who did this cruelty to her?
Move aside.
Move.
There are blood stains on that tree, sir.
- Did you inform the police station? - Yes, I did.
Sir...
- It was lying down here. - Who asked you to touch it?
Drop that. Drop it!
I came to know about this from our ward member.
This is really shocking!
Who must have committed this murder?
We rushed here when we heard that a corpse was found in the rubber plantation.
Little did we know it would be Revamma's daughter.
Well, we are going to lose some sleep for the next few days.
Yes, the CI is here.
Sir, there are blood stains here.
- Raveendran! - Get away!
Do the inquest and prepare the body to send it for postmortem.
Okay, sir.
Who saw the body first, President?
It was Govindan, sir.
Who is Govindan? Call him here.
Govindan...
Go...
Yes! There he is. Govindan!
Come here.
Why are you shivering?
- Did you do this? - Oh, no! I didn't, sir.
- Then who did it? - I don't know.
Hey, take him to the jeep.
We should know why he is trembling.
- Don't take me, sir, I didn't do it. - Come with us!
- Sir... - Move aside.
What was CI "Idiyan" Baburaj's investigation methods later on?
What method, sir?
He thought beating up people would help solve the case.
He tortured that poor soul Govindan.
It's true!
That day and the following day, including Sethu,
he took almost ten youngsters into custody,
whoever went after Sridevi at least once, and beat them to a pulp.
Even Panchayat President was thrashed when he went to question the brutality.
The next day, in the evening, Sridevi's postmortem report came.
Yeah, I have read that in the case diary.
She was three months pregnant when she was murdered, wasn't she?
Yes, sir.
That news literally shook this village.
Sridevi didn't have such a lover,
her friends were certain of it.
Then how did the police investigation progress?
It didn't, sir.
The very next day,
a government order came to hand over the case to the Crime Branch.
We camped here at the TB.
We wanted to find the anonymous lover of Sridevi somehow.
We tried all means.
But in vain.
Finally, we declared a reward of 5000 rupees
for anyone who gives any information
that helps the investigation.
But things remained the same.
That is when
the Crime Branch decided to
question Govindan, who saw the body first.
I went to Govindan and told him to come at ten in the morning.
But that night...
on a cashew-nut tree in his backyard,
Govindan hung himself.
That triggered the people.
They marched to the TB with torch lights,
pelted stones at my house,
and sent a petition to the Home Minister.
Finally,
after putting an end to the investigation,
the Crime Branch team left.
It was six or seven months later that
under the leadership of DYSP Krishnanunni sir,
the Special Investigation team came here.
To help them locally...
I was put in charge.
So far the investigation was after the youngsters who had eyes on Sridevi.
We took a detour.
Without any age limit,
every single man who had come in contact with Sridevi,
we bring them under the purview of this investigation.
What do you think?
That investigation led us to Parangodan.
The owner of the rubber plantation where Sridevi's body was found.
We had more than one reason
to suspect Parangodan.
Most important among them was
the fact that he was a womanizer.
That is Parangodan.
Also, six years ago,
his house was one among the four to five houses that had a TV in Cheruvally.
Sridevi used to regularly go there to watch TV.
Along with that...
Parangodan personally tapped the trees on his farm.
But on the day Sridevi was murdered,
Parangodan had not gone for tapping.
If he had,
instead of Govindan, Parangodan would have been
the first one to see Sridevi's body.
- Didn't you ask him about that? - Yes, we did.
There was a wedding at Karukachal the next day, sir.
My wife's niece's.
We had to leave early in the morning.
That's why I didn't go for tapping that day.
Did you go to the wedding?
No, sir. I didn't.
After hearing such tragic news,
how could we attend a wedding?
Oh.
So when did Parangodan see Sridevi's body?
I... I went there in the morning when I heard the news, sir.
It's a lie, sir!
I was at the crime scene since morning.
I didn't see you there, Parangodan.
No, sir...
Before you came to the spot,
I saw it and left.
You never came to see that body.
I'll prove that.
If I prove it,
then you should confess to this crime.
Will you?
No, sir.
I did not go to see the girl's body.
I didn't go because I was afraid.
Not because of anything else.
Please believe me, sir.
Similarly, for many of our questions...
what Parangodan said was not very convincing.
We almost concluded that he was the culprit.
To get more clarity on things,
Krishnanunni sir made him undergo a fertility test.
- To check if he can reproduce... - Understood.
But toppling all our calculations,
the result of that test was negative.
Doctors said that Parangodan cannot father a child in the given situation.
With that, SIT's investigation came to a dead end.
Though we tried different methods later,
nothing reached a conclusion.
That's when the double homicide happened in Perunna,
and the investigation of that
was given to Krishnanunni sir by the government.
With that, the Sridevi murder case came to a standstill.
Later, some people
tried for a CBI investigation,
but nothing was fruitful.
Brother...
In your opinion,
should we continue this reinvestigation
or without wasting much time,
prepare a closing report and return back?
What do I say in this, sir?
As you have heard everything that has happened till now,
I'll leave that to your conscience.
- The curry is really good, Suku. - Thank you, sir.
Sir, we are only left with a few groceries for today.
If you can tell me what our plan is,
I could go and buy some groceries accordingly.
Our plan...
That is...
What do you think, Suku?
Sir, what I think is, if we're going to go
after submitting the closing report, we will only need groceries for two days.
If we're going to go ahead with the investigation,
we might have to fill the kitchen with groceries.
Sena, what do you think?
Sir, from hearing what Raveendran Nair said yesterday,
it's not as easy as we think.
It's been several years since the incident.
Which means,
you don't have the same confidence that you had before coming here.
To be honest, no, sir.
It's very difficult, sir.
But since we have this opportunity,
I think we should give it a try.
Anyway, since we're here,
we'll just go after this Sridevi murder case
for the next five days, starting today.
In the meantime,
if we find anything that the Crime Branch or SIT couldn't...
any clue that would help the investigation,
then we'll continue with this investigation.
Otherwise,
we'll prepare a closure report soon and leave Cheruvally.
What do you say?
- Sir. - Alright, sir.
So, for the time being,
let's buy groceries for five days, right, sir?
Yes.
I still can't believe that
she had such a love affair.
No matter where she went,
she told me.
Even the tiniest of details.
We are taking this now.
We shall return it before we leave.
Sridevi seems to be a hopeless romantic.
She has not left any Ma publication novels unread.
Of course, girls of her age shall only read Ma novels.
Or do you expect them to read "The Capital?"
That's correct!
Sir, look at this.
"From, Lekha Satheesh,
Quarters Number A7,
Gorenga Industrial Estate, Kalyan, Bombay."
I was in Bombay with Brother Satheesh.
In Kalyan.
He was working in a private firm there.
He died in a fire accident that happened there.
Sridevi's mom told us
that apart from Lekha, no one in this world writes to Sridevi.
- Were you of the same age? - No, sir.
Sreekutti was two to three years younger than me.
Has Sridevi ever,
in any of those letters she sent you,
mentioned or given a clue about her having an affair?
No, sir. I have never felt that.
Usually, what would be the content of her letters?
It was only about what was happening in the village.
Lekha, when was the last time Sridevi sent a letter to you?
Almost two weeks before her death.
Do you have that letter with you?
No, sir.
It was when we were shifting our quarters.
I misplaced all the letters in that rush.
I couldn't even send her a reply.
What was written in that letter?
Could you recall?
In that...
I don't remember anything specific.
It was a normal letter.
Then...
I think it was in that letter that she mentioned
our friend Induja's engagement.
As I said,
the person who we think is responsible for Sridevi's murder,
we're on our final attempt to find that anonymous lover.
We will be in this village for a few more days.
Meanwhile, if you remember anything that would help the investigation,
don't hesitate to inform us.
- I shall, sir. - Okay.
Sir,
though it was not in the last letter,
in one of the letters she had sent before,
Sridevi had asked me if learning Hindi is easy
and if one could get a job outside Kerala after passing the typing course, etc.
Even though I had asked her in the next letter
what she meant by "outside Kerala."
I don't think she replied to that.
Okay.
What are you thinking, sir?
Nothing...
If it is easy to learn Hindi,
and if you could get a job outside Kerala after learning typing,
and if Sridevi had asked this to Lekha through the letters, then maybe
this lover of Sridevi
was living in a place
where Hindi is the mother tongue.
Or...
what if she was going to
go to such a place with him that night?
That's also possible, sir.
Then,
let's try and go after that possibility.
This means, at the time of her death,
whoever went out of Cheruvally,
that is, in Hindi-speaking regions... We should find out who they were.
I don't have to recollect it from memory.
Everything is recorded.
Look, do you see those files?
Since 1979, when I became the president,
I have kept yearly records of all the details
of each and every family in Cheruvally. Those are the files.
It was for this reason alone that we received
the award for the best panchayat in the state three times.
- You need the 1988 file, isn't it? - Yes.
1988... Yes, it's there.
Next to that red file.
But I won't give it to you.
Why, Mr. President?
That's how it is.
The Panchayat has decided not to cooperate with your investigation in any manner.
If you still want it,
you can come with a court order and take the file with you.
Let's see about that.
Are you threatening me, sir?
Before I became a social worker,
I was at the border for ten to fifteen years,
serving the country. That is P.V. Pailo!
So, don't try to use your "police-style" threats on me.
- Bloody... - Sena!
If you don't want to give it, let it be.
Sir, this guy...
Forget it. Come.
We're leaving.
Bloody investigators!
Many big shots have come here before you!
Who the heck do you think you are?
Should I give him a tight slap, sir?
CHERUVALLY PANCHAYAT OFFICE
Our hands are tied, Sena.
Pretend as if you know nothing.
This peon, Vasu, decides everything in this Panchayat.
Not that nasty president.
Understood? Give me those papers.
Is he the American President
- to say that he won't cooperate? - Exactly.
- Isn't he just a Panchayat president? - Yes.
And who is ruling that Panchayat?
- Who? - It's me!
- Am I not? - Indeed.
Tell me which file you want.
- I'll take it and place it on your lap. - Glad to hear that.
Two days.
I just need two days...
Hey, try this fish curry. It's kingfish.
King, my foot! I don't pay heed to any kings!
Will he be able to do this?
He might. But don't be too optimistic.
It was a very complex and terrible case for me,
but it may not necessarily be the same for you.
I just shared my experience.
It is one of
the four or five cases that I couldn't solve.
There have been
no significant developments in our investigation either, sir.
Your inquiry hit a snag when Parangodan's fertility test came back negative,
- right? - That's not true.
I had progressed beyond that point.
The lover of that girl
was someone who worked outside Cheruvally,
and they used to exchange letters. I found those clues.
I decided to interrogate
the postman with the provided information.
That's when I discovered that,
a few days after her death,
the postman also met with a major accident.
He fell into a coma.
Actually,
that's where my investigation hit a dead end.
Do you think that the accident and this case are related?
I don't think so.
You should try to meet that postman.
His name was Chandran or something like that.
It's been a long time.
Perhaps...
he has recovered by now.
Did you find the postman?
No.
Nobody here even knows if he is alive or not.
He wasn't married.
So, a few days after the accident,
- his sister came and took him home. - Where is that?
It's somewhere near Piravom. Nobody knows more than that.
Anand sir is trying to obtain his current address through the PMG office.
For what? He might be dead by now.
Anyway, people in a coma usually don't survive for long.
By the way,
the rice is finished. This is the last batch.
Today is the fifth day.
How are things? Will the game continue?
- Sir, go and ask Anand sir. - Me?
How's that possible?
Go and tell him about the rice. So, he'll tell you if to buy more or not.
- Suku, do one thing... - Yes.
Buy...
- groceries for three days. - Okay.
We need to retrieve that file from the Panchayat as the peon had promised.
Also, we should gather the details of that postman.
We need to know that.
If nothing progresses after that, we can put this case aside.
Alright, sir.
- Hey, don't you need money? - Of course!
- Suku. - Yes.
Call Sena and Kabeer.
- Quickly. - Okay.
- What is it, sir? - Yeah.
Take a look at this.
This is the envelope in which Lekha sent the letter to Sridevi.
On it,
the "from" address is...
"Lekha Satheesh,
Kalyan, Bombay."
But...
this letter is posted from...
See here. It's from Gurgaon in Haryana.
You're correct, sir. This was sent from Gurgaon.
- But this "from" address... - That address...
Let's address that confusion right away.
Come.
No, sir. I didn't send this letter.
And this handwriting isn't mine.
I used to write her in inland papers.
I never sent one in an envelope like this.
Do you have any idea whose handwriting is this?
No, sir. I don't know.
Okay. Come on.
I want that file from the Panchayat today itself.
- There shouldn't be any change in that. - No, sir.
That peon has agreed to meet us by the river in the evening.
He'll come with the file.
Okay.
Sir, he's coming.
My dear sirs, please forgive me.
That scoundrel president is not a silly guy like we thought.
He had foreseen our moves.
- You didn't get the file? - No.
He didn't come to the office today.
So, when I sneaked into his room and looked for the file, it wasn't there.
Later, I found out that
he took all the files to his home yesterday.
I'm helpless.
I'm really sorry.
What the heck are you saying?! This is not what you said while drinking!
- Are you trying to fool the police? - I'm not fooling you, sir.
I am telling the truth.
Don't harm me, please.
Sena...
Leave him.
Go away!
Don't look back! Go!
Sir.
What should we do now?
I really want that file today, Kabeer.
No matter how.
Hey! Don't move!
Oh! Sir, it's you!
So you were the thief in a cop's uniform, right?
I'll show you.
I'll show you now.
The one who told you where the file is,
might not have told you that I don't sleep at night.
I have caught thieves who have come here
before as well.
I'm going to call the police.
Bloody son of a gun!
I've been meaning to do this since the day I came here.
What did you say about us in that public meeting the other day?
That we're some barbarians who killed an innocent young priest?!
Didn't you?
If you tell this to anyone,
I'll finish you off before I go.
- Will you tell anyone? - I won't, sir.
I swear on my kids, I will speak nothing of this.
I'm taking this file.
- I shall return it before we leave. - Okay, sir.
Kabeer... Sena...
What is it, sir?
See this.
"Serial Number 13.
Ward six. House Number 364.
Head of the Family, Sadanandan Cheruvally.
Wife, late Indira.
Daughter, Vidya. Married.
Stays at her husband's house in Kumarakom.
Son, Vishnu.
Unmarried. Occupation, Engineer.
In Gurgaon, Haryana.
At a private firm."
Do you remember Sadanandan Cheruvally?
What is to be opposed...
At that protest meeting the other day...
must be opposed!
The year Sridevi was killed,
the one who went for work to Gurgaon from Cheruvally,
was Sadanandan's son Vishnu.
- Kabeer... - Sir.
What we need to know now is,
whether Vishnu was in town at the time of Sridevi's murder.
Also, we don't know much about Sadanandan Cheruvally as well.
- We should know more. - Yes, sir. I'll inquire.
Sir, Sadanandan Cheruvally is a rich and influential person in this village.
This village belonged to them once.
That's how his family name became this village's name.
He's got a good reputation around here.
Villagers call him "Sadanandan Master" out of respect.
He became a theater person because of his love for art.
He also got the state award for best actor in one of the years.
Then his son, Vishnu...
Nobody has any bad opinion about him.
Vishnu has been working in Dubai for the past four years.
Nobody remembers if he was in town at the time of Sridevi's murder.
But every year, he comes for the Padayani festival at the Cheruvally temple.
When is that festival?
It is in the Malayalam month, "Makaram."
Which means...
in February.
Yes, sir. It must be around the second week of February.
Sridevi was murdered on May 20th.
She was three months pregnant at the time of her death.
Yes, sir.
If we think that way...
we could connect the dots.
Enough.
Memory?
Yes, he remembers things.
Uncle was in a coma for two and a half years after the accident.
There is a good neurology hospital nearby.
It's because of their treatment that he has become better now.
Chandran, do you remember how that accident happened?
Sir...
When he got his speaking ability back, he used to say that
it was a black Ambassador car that hit him.
Did you not inquire about that?
No, sir. It was already three years after the accident.
Also, we thought there was no point in inquiring.
I'm investigating the Sridevi murder case that happened in Cheruvally in 1988.
Do you remember that incident, Chandran?
Yes, I remember.
Can you recall whose handwriting is this?
Or do you remember anyone else in Cheruvally getting letters
in this handwriting?
Panchayat has warned him not to dig the border.
If he is digging despite that, that is an insult to the Panchayat.
We can't let that happen.
What should I do, President?
How are you, George?
Don't do anything, Onachan. Go home.
I'll come there in the evening.
Let me see what he has done.
- Then we'll decide what to do. - Okay.
President,
please don't forget.
- Go, Onachan. I'll come in the evening. - Yes.
Oh, the curse of being the president!
Hey, Onachan...
Hey, President!
Yes?
Come here.
Anand sir, it's you!
I can't see properly from a distance, that's why.
What is it, sir?
Don't you want this file?
If your purpose is met,
and if you don't mind, please give it back.
Here it is.
Was this of any use, sir?
Did you find the real culprit?
I was waiting for you here to tell you that.
We're ending the investigation.
- Oh, no. - We're going back tomorrow.
We'll shift to the TB from the house where we are staying right now.
We'll leave from there tomorrow afternoon.
To prepare a closure report,
I need to take statements of prime suspects once again.
That is from 9:00 a.m. tomorrow.
- You should also come. - Oh, my! Me?
So, am I also a suspect to you?
Not that.
A responsible person should be there
as a witness when the statements are taken.
- That's why I asked you to come. - Oh, my dear saint!
I freaked out!
I'll come for sure.
I'll be there at 9:00 a.m. sharp.
So, no one will question you anymore in this case, Podiyan.
We are closing the case.
But don't harass Revamma again.
- I'll beat you to a pulp! - No, sir.
I quit drinking long ago.
I'm just leading a normal life, sir.
I don't create any trouble anymore, sir.
Good for you.
- Greetings. - What greetings?
What is happening around here? What are you doing?
Why did they ask me to come here? What did I do?
I had already told you
to send them away by calling some ministers.
You didn't listen to me!
Investigation, my foot!
Master, the trouble will be over today.
Just cooperate for one last time.
You're here as well?
You must be their henchman like always, aren't you?
Master, don't misunderstand me.
How can I help them in the middle of my daughter's wedding?
I came here only because I got to know they're leaving today.
Please make it quick for him.
How can I help with it?
- President... - Yes?
I have a play at 6:00 p.m. in Thrissur at the academy.
I cannot wait for long.
- Raveendran... - Sir.
Bring him in next.
- We don't have to create a scene here. - Sir.
Okay, sir.
- Sena, close that door. - Sir.
Master,
we're closing the investigation
and going back today.
Glad to hear that.
We failed.
But...
we can't really say we completely failed.
Because we know something about the killer, Master.
What do you know?
That is...
As we all thought,
the killer is not a young man.
His age is...
above sixty.
He has achieved a lot in life
and has many things to lose as well.
He has a son.
He was the lover of that murdered girl.
Even he knows that.
We spoke to him.
Hear this.
I've known Sridevi since childhood.
I liked her.
However, fearing my parents, I didn't pursue her like others.
A year before Sridevi was killed,
there was a cleaning campaign in Cheruvally
organized by the Panchayat.
The campaign lasted for two whole days.
During that event, almost every youngster in Cheruvally,
including Sridevi and I, took part.
That's where our relationship began.
The relationship eventually grew a lot.
We knew that if we wanted to live together,
I should get a job and stand on my own feet.
And until then, no one should know about our relationship.
That's why I tried to find a job somewhere outside Kerala.
Soon, I got a job in a construction company based in Delhi.
We started communicating through letters after that,
exchanging one or two letters every month.
It was about eight months after
that I returned to our village during the festival in Cheruvally Kavu.
But that night spoiled all our plans.
It was two months after my return from the village
that I received a letter from Sridevi,
expressing her doubts about a possible pregnancy.
She was extremely worried.
I freaked out as well.
We had no idea what to do.
Out of anxiety, I vented it out to Lal, my roommate.
He advised me to marry Sridevi as soon as possible.
So, I wrote a letter to Sridevi asking her to come
and wait for me in front of the crucifix
of Kallumala Church on 20th May.
A few days later, I received her reply stating that
she would wait there for me no matter what happened.
So, on 20th May 1988, Lal and I reached Kottayam.
We rented a room in a lodge.
We waited the entire night in front of the crucifix of the Kallumala Church,
but Sridevi didn't show up.
I suspected that something bad had happened to Sridevi.
I sent Lal to Cheruvally to meet her in person.
It was when he returned
that I learned about Sridevi's murder the previous night.
I wanted to see her.
I tried going there as well.
But Lal stopped me forcefully.
He was afraid that even though he hadn't done anything wrong,
he might also face accusations in the murder case.
I had no choice but to go back with him that very night.
When the local investigators were looking for Sridevi's anonymous lover,
I didn't tell anyone
because I was being selfish about my own life
and the promise I made to my friend.
We investigated to verify the accuracy of his statement.
It's true.
He has no further involvement in this case.
Then, who killed Sridevi and why?
That question still remains.
Chandran, the former postman in Cheruvally at the time of Sridevi's murder,
later assisted us in that matter.
Cha...
Chandran... now?
He's still alive, Master!
Despite being paralyzed below the waist,
time has allowed him to reveal certain truths.
He also told us about all the incidents up to that date
after he gave one of the regular unstamped letters to you.
With all this, we concluded the Sridevi murder case in this manner.
An honor killing committed by a resentful father
who disapproved of his son marrying a girl
of lower caste, financial status, and family reputation than himself.
That's the Sridevi murder case.
Why do you look anxious?
You may go, Master.
You've got a show in the evening, right?
Don't sit here and be late. Please go.
Sena, open the door for him.
Let him go.
Sir, he... how can we let him go like that?
We have not been given any power to arrest or detain anyone.
Since we know who the culprit is, let's report this to the higher officials.
Let them decide the rest.
When I heard you on the phone, I felt a bit confused.
Now, everything is clear.
It's him who should explain the rest.
So...
I'm going to arrest him now.
So many cars! What's the matter?
Brother, what happened?
Sir, a man is hanging dead on the tree behind the bungalow on Narikunnu Hill.
Respected SP sir,
I realize that as you go through this letter,
you might be taken aback by the unexpected turn of events.
I never expected to be caught.
The new investigation team you sent
has distorted all my calculations.
Today in TB, they were reading all the facts from my face
without me even realizing it.
I have known Sridevi since childhood.
I liked her.
However, fearing my parents,
I didn't pursue her like others.
The voice...
did not belong to Master's son, Vishnu.
But my son, Sudeep.
He was Sridevi's lover.
Who's this person sending letters to your son without postage?
It's happening so frequently these days!
If this is the case, his entire salary will be spent on postal fines.
The handwriting on that cover was unfamiliar to me.
I tactfully took the letter from Chandran,
stating it was sent by my daughter.
I promised to stamp and post it the next day.
My guess wasn't incorrect.
It was indeed a letter from Sridevi to my son,
mentioning that she was pregnant.
I could never accept their relationship.
But I also wanted to know my son's stand on this matter.
So, I stamped the letter and posted it again the very next day.
And I went to meet Postman Chandran once again.
We, the police department, require a small favor from you, Chandran.
Do you remember George, the chit-fund operator
who swindled 60,000 rupees from our villagers twenty years ago?
Of course! Out of that sixty thousand, 200 rupees were mine.
The police have a lead that he is now in Delhi.
But we don't have his address.
It seems like he often sends letters to his daughter using a fake name!
Daughter... Don't you know her?
That tailor Revamma's daughter!
Chandran, what you need to do is
confidentially hand over all the letters addressed to her to me.
I will give it back to you once I confirm that it was sent by George.
Sir, isn't that illegal?
What illegal!
Helping the police in an investigation will never be illegal.
In fact, it's illegal if you don't help out.
Understood?
Chandran gave me two letters
that my son had sent to Sridevi in a month.
The letters stated that he would come on the 20th of May
to pick up that bloody fatherless girl,
and she should be ready for him.
I also got ready...
for that day.
I have worn a uniform
as a law enforcement officer for 35 years,
and I cannot live as a criminal
even for a moment under the same law.
I believed I would never be caught
since Postman Chandran had become paralyzed in an accident.
However, Anand sir and his team
proved me wrong.
Hence, let my final salute be to them.
While explaining the Sridevi murder case,
Nair deliberately didn't mention Postman Chandran.
It was Krishnanunni sir who told us about Chandran,
and we were able to trace him.
Also, when I barged into the Panchayat President's house,
I inquired about how he had learned of our arrival.
Sir, Raveendran Nair told me about it.
He told us we had to figure out how to make all of you leave,
or else there would be even bigger problems than before.
When I saw "Gurgaon" along with Vishnu's name in the Panchayat file,
I decided to focus my investigation on him.
But when I checked Raveendran Nair's family details in that file of 1988,
I became confused.
The file stated that Nair's son, Sudeep, was working in a private company in Delhi.
The travel time between Delhi and Gurgaon is hardly an hour.
It is also common for people to live in Gurgaon for cheaper rent
and work in Delhi.
Therefore, I felt that Raveendran Nair and Sudeep should also be
brought under the ambit of parallel investigation.
I secretly visited Sadanandan and spoke to him.
At first, he was a bit reluctant,
but he allowed me to check Vishnu's handwriting.
During that examination, I understood that
the handwriting on the envelope was different from Vishnu's handwriting.
And then, I spoke to Vishnu on the telephone.
I sent a photocopy of the envelope to Vishnu through a fellow passenger
on the morning flight,
hoping he could identify the handwriting.
From there, I went to Piravom,
to the house of Postman Chandran's sister in Vellore.
After hearing what Chandran had to say,
I got a vague picture of Sridevi's murder.
But I decided to wait for Vishnu's reply.
As expected,
Vishnu called me at Sadanandan Master's house the following day.
Vishnu told me that the handwriting on the envelope
belonged to Raveendran Nair's son, Sudeep.
Vishnu and Sudeep were childhood friends and classmates.
After completing his draftsman diploma course,
Sudeep was unemployed.
It was Vishnu who helped him secure a job in the Delhi branch of his company.
Both of them came to the village together for the Cheruvally temple festival.
Despite this, Sudeep hid his relationship with Sridevi from Vishnu.
It was due to the fear that someone in the village
might find out about this relationship through Vishnu.
Shortly after receiving the envelope,
Vishnu called Sudeep and inquired about it.
He didn't deny any of it
and told Vishnu that he was willing to confess everything to me.
That evening, I spoke to Sudeep.
He told me everything in detail.
Thus Raveendran Nair became our sole target.
We didn't have the confidence to report this to you
at that stage, as it was all just speculation.
Okay.
We wanted Nair's face to reveal his truth. That he's the real culprit.
He was a cop with over 30 years of service
and also a murderer who had left no room for suspicion for six years.
We feared that if we confronted him in a standard interrogation,
he might manage to escape.
So, we opted to set up a deceptive interrogation method for him.
Tell a dummy suspect everything we know
about the real suspect while the real suspect is present.
That was our plan.
Sadanandan Master was our dummy suspect.
We had to put in a lot of effort to convince him.
We are indebted to him for his help in this investigation.
An honor killing committed by a resentful father
who disapproved of his son marrying a girl
of lower caste, financial status, and family reputation than himself.
He decided his own fate.
Anyway, once again...
you guys have done your job brilliantly.
Congrats.
Thank you, sir.
Failing to bring the real culprit to justice once again,
they found themselves at a loss.
While they may not be entrusted with significant responsibilities anymore,
Anand and his team hold onto hope for an investigation
that promises the taste of victory.
Let's join them
in awaiting the day of their triumphant success.
Did you put everything from the list in the vehicle?
Let's go.